


Excess baggage

by Nina16000



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Guns, M/M, Oh Sehun is a Little Shit, One Shot, Sky Pirates, Violence, Yup they're pirates in the sky, lots of clouds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 02:46:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15209141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nina16000/pseuds/Nina16000
Summary: Pirate captain Chanyeol visits the sky island of El Dorado, searching for a legendary treasure, but ends up bringing disaster onto his ship instead.





	Excess baggage

Bursts of steam from the trembling pipes exploded in Chanyeol’s face amidst the cacophonic groaning of the steamship as he sprinted down the shadowy hallways. His throat was sandpaper dry and heavy breaths escaped his bloodied lips as he stumbled left and right through the labyrinth of unfamiliar hallways with no destination in mind, just away from _it_.

The darkness chased him like a deathly tsunami and close behind was the sound of hissing and hard metal being torn easily like paper.

He tripped over some fallen boxes, tumbling onto the ground in a painful slam. Cursing, he pulled himself up, accidentally breaking off a loose gear from the wall, but he paid no mind and continued running for his life.

This was a mistake. None of this was meant to happen. He regretted ever going to that cursed island.

_Just what the hell did he bring onto his ship?_

* * *

“I’ve decided. We’re going treasure hunting!”

Chanyeol stormed into the bridge, smacking the table and spreading the various yellowed charts held in his hand like a pack of cards. The sound jolted everyone in the room and the ship jittered slightly as Jackson, who had fallen asleep on the steering wheel jumped awake.

“My first pick is the legendary treasure on island of El Dorado.” He said, arranging the charts next to the larger map imprinted onto the table. “Not too far off. From what I can tell on the map it’s no more than three skystreams away, near the Port of Copper Rains so you know what that means…” He made a dazzling gesture with his hands. “ _Money_!”

“Captain… what?” Hoseok, the ship’s cook, spoke after a long moment of silence, mouth filled with grapes.

“You heard me, I want money. With money we can buy new machinery and charts, so we can reach more places in the Sky than ever before – maybe even the Upper Spheres”

“But you…” Hoseok swallowed his mouthful in one large gulp, gaze empty. “We stole this ship three days ago. We have no idea how it even works. I only managed to start up the stoves last night.”

“No problem” Chanyeol shrugged with a confident smile. “We have plenty of time to explore the ship before we arrive. You see this?” He pulled out a ring of keys and began spinning it on his finger. “I just found out that three of them unlock some cool cannon mechanism”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Nope, but this ship is so huge that there could be anything inside like engines that could – oh!” With characteristic clumsiness, the keys slipped out of his finger and clattered onto the floor by the feet of two newcomers.

“Dear oh dear” Baekhyun flicked his wrist stylishly, resting on the doorframe like a model - fluttering white blouse, skinny trousers and all. “We were going to warn you, Hobi, but… it looks like the child got here first.”

“That’s captain to you” Chanyeol said to his First Mate, who stuck out his tongue in response.

Behind Baekhyun appeared Jongdae, thick goggles over his face, a hefty scarf wrapped tight around his neck and in his hands was some metal gadget that Chanyeol had no mental capability to understand. The mechanic barged past Baekhyun, knocking him out of his elegant posture, and slid onto the floor in a starfish pose.

“So warm!’ He sighed, rubbing his face on the ground before greeting Chanyeol with a quick salute. “Good Heavens it is stormy out there! I really do hate cold fronts. You think those Terries have it a little hotter down on Earth?”

“The terrestrials? Well, since you ask so kindly, we’ll gladly send you down to the Ground” Baekhyun laughed, stepping over the mechanics body and observing the table atlas next to the captain. “The easy way, you know? A little skydive out of the clouds. Although, you might end up like cracked eggs”

Jongdae fixed him with a comically offended expression and pushed himself up from the ground. He picked up Chanyeol’s keys from the floor, inspecting them and then handing them to the captain. “Hmm? Keys for the emergency lifeboats system?”

At that statement, Hoseok turned and gave Chanyeol a very annoyed expression. Okay, maybe not cool cannon mechanisms.

“More importantly,” Chanyeol clapped his hands, gathering attention and once again shocking Jackson at the steering wheel awake after dozing off for the umpteenth time. “Baekhyun, Jongdae and I were looking through the previous owner’s cabin and we found these jewels.” He pointed to the charts. “A whole collection of maps leading to legendary treasures of all kinds, and as pirates we have an obligation to uncover them. So, I’ve decided we’re going for El Dorado, the closest one”

Hoseok shook his head hopelessly and began stuffing his mouth with more grapes, a stress-eating habit of his. “We’re not ready for this”

“It’s a decent idea” Baekhyun said. “But Hobi has a point, we aren’t exactly equipped for any excursions right now and much of this ship’s assets remain either undiscovered or broken”

Jongdae, who had resumed fiddling with his gadget, spoke up. “The steam engine is partially overheated, but it’s nothing I can’t fix. The sails can make up for the lost thrust anyway, it _is_ bloody windy outside. On the other hand, I found this ship has a neat emergency auto-pilot system and density sensor. We’re loaded and safe”

Chanyeol nodded affirmatively and began folding up one of the charts, which the crewmates frowned at. “As long as we don’t lose another ship to a Giant Sky Squid, I think we can gear up just fine. Now, Jackson!”

The pilot (and gunman of the ship) snorted awake and turned to them, a bewildered face covered in drool.

Chanyeol launched his newly-folded paper plane towards the pilot. Jackson caught it with one hand, flattening the map out, and he placed it on the control panel next to the wheel, tired eyes immediately scanning over the page.

With a straight back and wide smile, he moved to look out one of the circular windows. The Sky was bright and endless, with grand clouds accumulating in the blue distance and zigzagging skystreams - large white waterways that were suspended in the air and provided passages for ships.

“Take the Beagle Liners to El Dorado!”

* * *

A few days after, their ship slid onto the sparkling beaches of El Dorado. They armed themselves and disembarked onto the tropical island into the dense rainforests. The old chart had detailed a small isolated village inside the forest that would direct them towards a temple containing the treasure.

The temperature around the island was hotter than out in the white sea and even Jongdae began shedding some of his thick clothing – a rare sight indeed. Quickly tiring, after stumbling through the vegetation, chopping tangling vines and swatting weirdly-shaped insects, they stopped at a small river.

“I’m going to relieve myself in one of the nearby bushes” Chanyeol said to Baekhyun, who was fanning himself with a leaf. “Oh and get Hani to stop playing her saxophone in the middle of a rainforest, she’s not listening to me”

“Play it louder, Hani!” He heard the First Mate yell behind him. Once he had moved far enough, he did his business behind a small tree and then quickly organized himself.

 As he walked back, he took out the crumpled chart that contained the details of the island and its treasure. It didn’t state what exactly the prize was since parts of the writing had long faded but there was other useful information such as the hostility of the locals. It wouldn’t be a problem, he trusted that Hani and her saxophone would charm the villagers.

Suddenly, a crunch snapped his line of thought and he swivelled to the source.

A person was sitting on a tree stump, watching Chanyeol, and the blade in his hands caught the sunlight.

The captain dropped his paper and whipped out his pistol, quickly cocking it and aiming it at the man who visibly tensed at the weapon.

The rainforest was quiet. Neither spoke.

Chanyeol stepped forward and suddenly, the man threw his blade with incredible accuracy, knocking the pistol out of his hand. He blinked in shock as the stranger leaped towards him. Chanyeol burst into action, aiming a punch at him but missing as the stranger ducked underneath, picking up his blade from the floor instead.

“Nice aiming!” He laughed, grabbing his second pistol and twirling it in his hand as he dodged a slash from the stranger. He grabbed the person’s arm and twisted it, pulling him forward so Chanyeol could land a strong hit with the end of his gun.

Except with electric speed the stranger revealed another smaller blade from his belt, tossing it at Chanyeol who quickly let go of him. The dagger slashed through his jacket as he stumbled back, and the stranger jumped forward again, other blade in hand.

“Not so fast, kid” He crouched under the swipe and then reached up for the man’s arm, knocking off the his dagger with a harsh hit to the wrist. The attacker gave him a powerful kick to the side and aimed for a punch, but Chanyeol spun him round and tripped him with a boot to his ankles.

They tumbled forwards onto the ground in a flurry of dust and leaves, and Chanyeol emerged on top with the barrel of his gun pressed on the stranger’s head. One of the blades landed next to them with a loud thump. The stranger narrowed his eyes, teeth grinding in apprehension and hostility.

Chanyeol chuckled, mouth curling into a cheerful smile. He removed his gun and stood up, moving away to grab his second gun. He sighed, stashing his guns in their holsters and he dusted his hands nonchalantly. The person stood up slowly, also grabbing his fallen blades, but his eyes remained fixed on Chanyeol, dark and mistrustful.

“Bloody hell” Chanyeol crossed his arms, out of breath but still smiling humorously. “It’s a bit weird of you to watch me piss, isn’t it?”

“You’re not welcome here. Leave.”

He blinked. “You speak the language?”

“I’m not a caveman, _outsider_ ”

 _Oof, sharp tongue_ , Chanyeol thought, mildly taken aback. He scrutinized him further; the man had inky black hair that glistened with sweat and dark eyebrows pulled into a fixed frown. He wore notably contemporary clothing which was unusual for inhabitants on isolated islands: a ruffled white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, dark, baggy breeches and plain sandals.

“Perhaps I should introduce myself” Chanyeol cleared his throat, ignoring the remark. “I’m captain Chanyeol of the Beagle Liner crew, or the Beagles for short.” He said, straightening his back proudly. “We’ve come for the treasure”

“Change the name, it’s terrible”

“The name is fine, thank you” He said and then gestured to his map which he collected off the ground. “Now, could you give me directions to the treasure temple, or direct me to someone who can?”

“You’re a pirate” The man said, realization flickering in his expression.

“Yes… I am?”

“Then you can skedaddle. My village doesn’t want you here”

Chanyeol smiled, despite becoming peeved. Before he could reply, there came a distant shout that sent some colourful birds fluttering away. “ _Sehun! Show yourself right now! Sehun!_ ”

The man looked to the direction of the voice, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Nice to meet you, Sehun” Chanyeol said smugly, receiving a cold glare. “Now that we’re acquainted, could you explain this map to me? I won’t take too much of your time”

Sehun sourly eyed the map in his hand and scoffed. “Your chart was written by pirates that chickened out of this island once they brushed with the forest beasts. Those idiots could barely record their own footsteps. So, don’t even bother following it. Actually, don’t even bother searching for—”

“ _Sehun, I will find you! Get over here!_ ” Said the voice again, much closer.

Not bothering to finish his sentence, Sehun jumped off the tree stump and swung his larger blade in his hands. He maintained his distance from Chanyeol as he moved towards the edge of the clearing.

“Hold up,” Chanyeol said stepping towards him but pausing when the knife was pointed towards him. “Listen, you know your way around this area. I’m not interested in pillaging your village. Show me the way to the temple and I’ll be gone before you know it”

“Oh really? You just attacked me, how do I know you won’t do more?” Sehun said sceptically. He slowed his walk, observing Chanyeol more carefully. “If you don’t ransack villages, then what do you do as a pirate? Do you take it a step further than stealing? Burn homes? Kidnap people? Murder innocents?”

Chanyeol challenged him with his own confident smile. “Nope, none of that, and it was you who attacked me first. I’m a decent person with a decent crew. All I do is explore, maybe steal a few ships here and there, but I’m always wandering. I’m not interested in being a scoundrel. So there’s no need to be scared.”

Sehun’s blade was at his side now and although he still seemed tense and mistrustful there was an element of curiosity in his manner as his expression softened.

Chanyeol moved towards him and raised his hand, “Beagles don’t bite”

The man edged away and raised his weapon again.

“Come on, help a friend out” Chanyeol urged.

“No, wash your hands first” He said, absolutely revolted.

Chanyeol blinked and looked at his hands emptily and then back to Sehun. “You live in a rainforest”

“That doesn’t stop from me washing my hands after pissing. It’s basic hygie—”

“ _Sehun_!” They both jumped as a man stumbled out of the bushes. Chanyeol placed a ready hand on his pistol but Sehun remained still, except for his expression twisting in more annoyance.

The newcomer looked alike to Sehun, both with thick eyebrows and dark hair. He wore similar clothes but with a smart jacket on top and more formal shoes. Except he was shorter, and his attire was ruined by dirt smears, leaves and twigs sticking all over him, nothing like Sehun who had managed to keep his white shirt relatively spotless apart from the bruises which Chanyeol had placed.

He stood there and heaved with his hands on his knees like a dying man. Then he jumped up and grabbed Sehun’s cheeks, giving them a harsh squeeze, livid and red. Chanyeol bit his lip, trying not to laugh at Sehun’s squashed up frown.

“You freaking brat!” He began yelling, shaking the other’s head with each word. “Stop sneaking out of the bloody village just because you think you’re some supreme visionary. You’re a numbskull with a kitchen knife. I should’ve known for Heaven’s sake; the moment you left the house you were up to no good. Every single time, _every single time_ this happens you drag the forest beasts back to the village, someone nearly dies, and I get beaten by the elders and—"

“-we get lectured in front of the entire village, how tragic” Sehun said with biting sarcasm, pulling his face out of the grip. “Get over it, Junmyeon, they hate me regardless of what I do.” He locked eyes with Chanyeol and then quickly looked away.

Junmyeon turned around, following Sehun’s gaze to where Chanyeol was. Immediately, he straightened up and began waving his arms wildly in apology. “Forgive my brother for being a nuisance, he’s going through a phase and I’m sorry it had to be you that he troubled, but he’ll mature…”

He paused and scanned Chanyeol up and down. His gaze stopped at the gun on his belt and then to the skull emblem on the captain’s jacket. Then his eyes ballooned with craze.

“ _Pira-!_ “

Sehun’s hand clamped over his mouth, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, dimwit. There aren’t any pirates here. Did you sleep well last night? Are you feeling sick? How many fingers am I holdi—”

Junmyeon glowered at him and slapped away his hand and they began bickering again like a pair of parrots, their voices echoing obnoxiously in the forest.

Chanyeol cleared his throat and adjusted his belt so the gun was hidden under his jacket. “I am a pirate, but friendly, you get me?”

“No, I do not get you.” Junmyeon snapped, turning on him. “What kind of pirate is friendly?”

“Captain Chanyeol of the Beagle Liners. Pleased to meet you, Junmyeon.” Chanyeol said, raising a hand. Sehun rolled his eyes to the moon and back.

Junmyeon looked at the captain, sizing him up, scrutinizing him. Sehun muttered warningly in his ear. “Don’t shake it, he just pissed”

A disgusted expression passed over Junmyeon’s face and he stepped back. But then he inspected Chanyeol with a hand on his chin. “Well, you haven’t shot either of us. Let me guess, you’re here for the treasure, right?”

Chanyeol nodded and was perplexed when the brothers exchanged a long glance: Junmyeon raised an eyebrow, Sehun then shrugged and rolled his eyes, Junmyeon’s mouth twitched and Sehun nudged him with a similar smirk.

“All right,” Junmyeon said looking at him with a more interested expression. “We can get you there”

“See, beagles don’t bite” Chanyeol said cheerfully and skipped away to bring his crew along.

* * *

“Alright, I have a few things to say before we part” Junmyeon said with crossed arms as they stood at the edge of the village. The locals were watching intently from their houses and children were sneaking closer to get an earshot of the conversation.

Behind him the settlement was sheltered in a small depression between two stone plateaus, and there were many spiked barricades lining the outskirts, warding off forest beasts. Chanyeol also happened to find that the village children carried small penknives with them and even hunched old ladies hid giant machetes under their seats. Indeed, they were warrior-like and well equipped, a lot more than the frazzled state of Chanyeol’s crew.

Diplomacy had failed, to say the least. The village leader, an unexpectedly burly man, didn’t want anything of Hani’s saxophone and nearly destroyed it. Amber, the ship’s medic who had a slightly morbid fascination with taxidermy, was nearly stabbed after chasing a village dog.

Now, they stood in a messy line: Amber sharpening with her unique set of scalpels, Hani cradling her saxophone with a wild and protective expression, Jackson dozing off whilst standing, Hoseok anxiously munching from a biscuit jar, Jongdae messing with his gadget and mumbling to himself, Baekhyun disinterestedly picking his nails and Chanyeol trying to whistle away his embarrassment.

“You now know the proper way to the temple and how to retrieve the treasure.” Junymeon said, elbowing Sehun who was fidgeting next to him. “Watch out for forest beasts, temple bats—”

“Venomous temple bats, actually” Sehun interjected, looking proud of himself. Some of the villagers rolled their eyes and muttered between each other.

A vein on Junmyeon’s forehead bulged. “ _Venomous_ temple bats and booby traps of all kinds. You will most likely not reach the treasure and if that happens do not come crying to us. Leave this island and don’t bother us again”

“Oh Junnie,” Baekhyun laughed strutting to the poor man and leaning onto him. “We won’t die that easily, not when you have such… _valuable_ treasures here” He reached over and patted Sehun and Junmyeon’s butts with both hands, humming and nodding in approval. The brothers jumped away, absolutely mortified. The crew failed to hide their own laughter, familiar with Baekhyun’s playfulness.

“Anyway” Junmyeon cleared his throat, red-faced. “Good luck with your attempt. I guess you’re all… nicer than the pirate’s we’ve encountered before”

Chest swelling with pride, Chanyeol saluted to the pair with a trademark smile. “Thanks a lot for this. Us Beagles will be back by the evening”

At that statement, the children eavesdropping behind them began laughing and making obscene gestures. Many drew their fingers across their necks with macabre expressions and others imitated monsters with big claws.

Chanyeol stuck his tongue out at them and they scattered, giggling and squealing. His crew were already moving ahead, so he turned to say a final farewell to the brothers but stopped when Sehun began walking towards him.

“I’m going with them,” Sehun said simply, grabbing the blade on his belt. Junmyeon blinked emptily and Chanyeol sealed his mouth shut. Sehun nodded to them both, expression set and fists closed.

“Over my dead body you lunatic.” Junmyeon grabbed Sehun’s arm, yanking him back. “I tell you where we’re going. Back home to have a nice, civil chat about your little _explorations.”_

“Let go, moron!” Sehun spat back, slapping Junmyeon and pulling his hair.

“You little—"

“Uh… toodaloo!” Chanyeol spluttered and dashed off to his crew, unsure of how to deal with squabbling siblings.

Baekhyun was waiting for him, arms sassily akimbo. His narrowed eyes were fixed on the fighting pair.

As the captain reached his companions he turned one last time to see Sehun being dragged away by the ear, still fighting with a strange desperation on his usually frowning face.

* * *

“ _Forest beast!”_

“Shut up, Hani” Someone snapped.

Chanyeol moaned and turned over on his bed, head pounding.

“ _Forest beast!_ ” Came the shriek again.

“Good Heavens my ears are bleeding.” Baekhyun’s voice sounded, noticeably hoarse but still characteristically finicky. “Hobi, stuff her mouth with those biscuits, for the sake of the Sky”

There was the popping of a food jar and then the sound of struggling. Some high-pitched grunts and Hoseok’s weak pleads of ‘ _Hani, please’_ and ‘ _Hani, no talking”_.

Chanyeol was about to complain, head swimming with confusion and tiredness, but Jongdae’s voice beat him to it. “I said shut up, Hani!”

 She quieted, and the captain sighed in satisfaction. But wait—

“Jongdae, what?” He sprung up like a catapult, immediately regretting the move as his head cracked with searing pain. In his blurry vision he found the mechanic, curled up in the corner of the unfamiliar room, messing with an arrow that had nearly struck him. “You… did you just tell Hani to shut up?”

“He’s in _that_ mood” Hoseok said, looking extremely dishevelled himself with mud patches all over his face and hair. “He wasn’t very happy about the outcome of our treasure hunt”

Chanyeol nodded in understanding as he reminisced over the last few chaotic hours. The last thing he remembered was being poisoned by one of the bats as they were exiting the temple. The venom wasn’t lethal, but it easily knocked him out.

“Sorry for being stung. You guys had to carry me out there” He said with a smile but feeling inept. It wasn’t like him to be so useless, especially when his crew were in danger. Even the villagers had to help carry his limp body to Junmyeon’s house which was rather embarrassing.

“We shouldn’t have come here” Jongdae complained, breaking the arrow in his hand. “Half of the weaponry that _I_ crafted is broken beyond repair, we’re all injured apart from Hoseok who pussied out behind the bushes, and all for what? Some black box without a key that not even Baekhyun’s lockpicking can open!”

Baekhyun sat on one of the windowsills and Amber was tending to his shoulder where he had been scratched by a forest beast. He was deep in thought. “There has to be something worthwhile about the chest. We should ask the villagers, they know more than us… although they’re not very keen about it themselves.”

“We’ll make the journey worthwhile.” Chanyeol said determinedly. “Even if it can’t be opened it could sell for simply being fabled. That would bring us plenty of coin. Was that not the main purpose of this trip?”

There was a knock on the door and Sehun peeked in.

“Woah, Junmyeon wasn’t joking, you actually survived” He said looking surprised. He waited, expecting a response but everyone was either too tired or annoyed to reply, so he continued. “I could have helped you had my idiot brother not dragged me home. I’ve been to that temple countless times, I would have disabled the booby trap system for you. Also, forest beasts hate water, had you splashed them, and they would have scrammed.”

“And you didn’t tell us this before?” Jongdae snapped, throwing up his arms.

“I didn’t think you were serious about going to the temple” He shrugged but then cleared his throat, turning to Chanyeol. “I digress. Captain Chanyeol of the Beagle Liners,” He scoffed at the name “you and your crew been invited to an evening feast with our village in celebration of acquiring the treasure. Consider yourselves special, we’re not usually this kind to outsiders.”

“Of course, we’ll join you!” Hoseok said urgently, standing tall. “There is food. We must go”

Sehun glanced at the cook, amused, and then to Chanyeol.

“Sure, we can go. There’s no rush to leave” Chanyeol said, stretching his arms. “We need something to lighten up the mood anyway” He eyed Jongdae who was still facing away from everyone but had stopped fiddling with his arrow to listen. Food always worked with him.

“So, retrieving the treasure is worthy enough of a celebration? Interesting.” Baekhyun mused aloud. “I wonder what is so appealing about this unopenable chest.”

Sehun suddenly frowned like there was something bitter in his mouth, fiddling with his personal blade. He chose not to reply to Baekhyun and headed for the door. “The meal will be held in an hour. Uh, don’t rot before then”

Once he was out of the room the crew resumed to tending to their wounds and brooding about the chest. Chanyeol immediately looked to Baekhyun who met his gaze with narrowed eyes. The captain bobbed his head to the door with a raised eyebrow and Baekhyun nodded.

_Something’s up with the treasure._

* * *

Jongdae’s sour mood didn’t last for long. Alongside Amber, he was singing and dancing fervently on one of the tables to the music of Hani’s saxophone. The whole village had gathered to celebrate. Even the village leader who had coldly directed them to the temple was now drunk and grooving with them. Baekhyun was surrounded by a whole group who were utterly charmed by him. There were long tables packed with all kinds of local delicacies and Hoseok and Jackson worked through them in an eating frenzy.

Chanyeol stood far from the hubbub, leaning on the wall of one of the houses lining the street. Above him, hanging lanterns stained the grounds in warm colours like large fireflies and the sounds of music and laughter filled the night sky. As much as he wanted to join his crewmates he was far too exhausted from his misadventures and chose to simply enjoy the nightlife as well as ponder other things.

Despite the many people frolicking around, Chanyeol could easily spot Sehun far from the crowds, alone. No one approached him, and he simply sat there on a barrel munching on a small meal, completely disinterested in the celebration. He barely existed, hidden under everyone’s dancing shadows.

“Good evening, Captain Chanyeol” He turned to see Junmyeon walking over, silhouetted in the dim light. He leaned on the wall next to the captain who smiled in greeting. “How is the feast?”

“We love it. Earlier, I thought your village was very aloof but it’s obvious I’m very wrong.”

Junmyeon smiled and they watched the buzz for a few more moments before Chanyeol spoke again. “You don’t seem too bothered with us taking this island’s treasure away.”

Junmyeon was quiet, face neutral as he thought up his answer. “It’s a nuisance for us. We’re not really interested in opening it since we have all we need in this village. All it does is bring intrusive outsiders onto our grounds and usually they’re less than kind to us. What will you do with it?”

“Sell it. It’s still legendary even if it can’t be opened, so the merchants will go crazy and we’ll get a load of money. I’m not an antiques kind of person, I just want to provide for my crew, so we can explore the Sky.”

“That’s quite altruistic.” Junmyeon said. “You remind me of Sehun, obsessed with exploring. Well, he isn’t as considerate as you”

“Is he not?” Chanyeol asked, eyes flicking to Sehun who was still sat alone.

Junmyeon rolled his eyes, sighing tiredly. “The idiot thinks he’s some adventurer and so he skips around the island. He always rouses the forest beasts, unintentionally, but he brings them back to the village. Someone – usually him – gets injured and the other villagers get pretty annoyed. He doesn’t mean to cause trouble, but he doesn’t think ahead before he acts”

“Maybe he’s bored?”

“Probably.” Junmyeon remarked sadly. “I don’t think the village life is for him. As much as I criticize him, he’s my brother and he’s a smart, bright soul. He’s read up and memorized nearly every text in the library like some genius because he hates doing anything else. Sehun just wants to discover, but it usually comes with a price. Ah, I don’t know what I’ll do with him”

Chanyeol patted him awkwardly on the shoulder, seeing the stress on Junmyeon’s face. “It’s not easy taming that kind of person. Perhaps letting him visit other islands may calm him a little”

“Oh no,” Junmyeon shook his head quickly. “We can’t leave. We don’t really have good enough boats and… well, people need us here for administration and caring for the elders.”

Chanyeol nodded, but before he could say anymore, the table Jongdae, Amber and the village leader were dancing on collapsed and they all tumbled to the floor, food and drinks flying everywhere.

“Oh Heavens!” Junmyeon cried and ran towards the mess, saying a quick goodbye to Chanyeol. He laughed, watching Junmyeon try to help the village leader up, only to be dragged onto the dogpile as well.

“Ignore what that twit said about me. We could easily leave but he’s too worried about his duties”

The captain startled, Sehun had suddenly appeared next to him, crouching on a nearby doorstep observing his personal blade. Chanyeol sat level to him. “He’s worried for you more than his duties. You’ve got the whole village scared for you”

“They don’t care that much” He confessed, face scrunched up into a frown. “I’m not really skilled in the things they need. Exploring is the only thing I’m good at and that’s exactly what they hate.”

Chanyeol wished Baekhyun was here instead of him, he wasn’t exactly skilled in pep-talks. “Junmyeon said you read lots of books, is that not a merit?”

Sehun shrugged and they sat in silence for some time, each to their own thoughts. The celebration was approaching its end, people were trickling out of the crowds, including his crewmates.

“I want to join your crew” He said suddenly.

Sehun met his gaze with a straight face and Chanyeol blinked at him emptily. “Did you drink earlier?”

“I’m perfectly serious” Sehun snapped. “I want to travel across the Sky”

“Sorry Sehun, that’s a no-no. You can’t just invite yourself onto a pirate crew”

“But I can fight, like when we met—”

Chanyeol pointed to the groups of young adults still dancing on the street, wanting to avoid this conversation as much as possible. “Why don’t you go join those guys?”

“They’re not my…” Sehun trailed off as Chanyeol stood up, patting him on the head with a firm shake of his head.

“Don’t discredit yourself. You’re still a part of this village” He said gently. He noticed some of his crewmates waiting for him nearby and gave Sehun one last clap on the shoulder. “Good night”

Sehun mumbled a weak reply but his gaze was strong. Chanyeol walked away, leaving him cloaked in the shadows.

* * *

The chest slammed onto the metal deck with a loud bang and Chanyeol gave a satisfied hum as the last of his crew climbed aboard. One of the best things about the new ship was its mini-crane system which could deploy the lifeboats or deliver heavy cargo. It meant the only struggle was moving the chest onto the beach which the crew took turns in because of how heavy it was.

The treasure chest was very underwhelming. It was obsidian-black and made of cracked stone. The only interesting feature was the gold lining across its middle and a small circular hollow which Chanyeol assumed was for the key – a very strangely shaped key at that.

“Well, I guess that’s us out of your island now” He said, turning to Junmyeon and Sehun who had helped lead them out of the rainforest. “You’ve done a whole load and us Beagles really appreciate it.”

“You’re doing us a favour taking the treasure away, that deserves credit” Junmyeon said, eyeing the box with a detached expression.

Sehun was paying little attention to the conversation, his eyes were wide, and they swept across the boat in wonder. As Chanyeol continued to talk with Junmyeon, he wandered off and began inspecting the deck, poking the steam pipes, flipping open trapdoors and peering inside the rooms until he was dragged back by his brother.

“He’s really curious about my ship, eh?” Chanyeol laughed as Junmyeon pulled Sehun by his ear.

Baekhyun and Jongdae joined them and the mechanic quickly jumped onto Sehun in a bone-crushing hug to his dismay. “Sebooty! I’ll miss you so much”

“Indeed, there is much to yearn for” Baekhyun said, eyes moving downwards until Chanyeol elbowed him.

“Oh, one more thing.” Junmyeon said, reaching into his pocket.

Suddenly, Sehun grabbed his brother’s arm, holding it still and looking very alarmed. Junmyeon gave him a questioning look and Sehun shook his head pleadingly. With a tug, he pulled his hand out of the other’s grip, presenting a strange silver cylinder.

“Junmyeon, no, we can just bury it at home. No one’s going to come back for it” Sehun urged.

“This is the key to the chest.” Junmyeon said, handing it to Chanyeol whose eyebrows shot up. “The moment you leave this island, find the nearest buyer and get rid of the treasure.”

Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun who was equally as befuddled. Jongdae swiped the key out of the captain’s hands, observing it hungrily from all angles.

Junmyeon stared piercingly at him. “Do not open the chest if you want to live”

“You had the key all this time? Why didn’t you give it to us earlier? Why now?”

A slight guiltiness appeared over Junmyeon’s face. “There’s the risk that once you sell the chest, it’ll fall into the hands of someone who’d want to open it, and they may come to our island looking for the key. We don’t really welcome outsiders.” He paused and then placed a hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Because you’ve proven yourself decent people, I’m warning you, please don’t open the treasure. I don’t know what’s inside of it but it’s not good.”

Next to him, Sehun looked visibly distressed, wishing his brother hadn’t said anything. His gaze flicked repeatedly to Jongdae who was very intrigued with the key.

“I’m not sure I follow” Chanyeol said with a confused smile. “You’re saying there’s something bad inside the chest but you’re not sure what. I feel a little betrayed then, seeing as you were celebrating the treasure being removed rather than us actually struggling to get it in the first place”

Junmyeon’s face fell and the captain slapped him harshly on the back with a wide grin. “Just kidding. Although, you giving us the key and then asking us not to open the chest is quite a big request, Junmyeon. It’s not a simple thing for us pirates, we worked hard to get it”

Sehun stepped in, voice quiet but serious. “Chanyeol, listen to him. There are—”

“You as well, Sehunnie?” Baekhyun said in a disappointed tone. “Well it’s too late now, Jongdae over there won’t let go of the key now, not over his dead body”

It took a few more minutes of bickering between the two parties before Chanyeol crossed his arms and sighed, mildly vexed. “Fine, we’re not opening it.”

“For your own good” Junmyeon nodded, relieved, but Sehun still looked sceptical and his hand ghosted over his dagger.

They exchanged their final goodbyes - Sehun having to deal with Baekhyun and Jongdae’s hounding - and then the brothers vacated the ship. The crew immediately set to work, unfurling the sails and powering up the engines, preparing to head for the Port of Copper Rains. Jongdae had taken the key for further analysis.

Chanyeol and his First Mate stood on the deck watching the crewmates busy themselves, they were both staring at the chest.

Baekhyun turned to him with a sneaky smile and Chanyeol got the message immediately. “Yes, but not today. Let’s sail for a bit.”

The First Mate nodded but he leaned towards him, excited. “By the Heavens, we are opening that box”

* * *

By the next day they were sailing across the skystreams, on course to the massive trading island. Of course, due to their questionable careers they would take some backwater channels to the nearby ‘ghost’ islets and then transfer in a more legal manner to the port.

Chanyeol was stood by Jackson who was shooting down some security buoys to ensure their ship couldn’t be tracked. It was a boring job, which is why someone needed to keep their gunner awake while he was busy, and it fell on Chanyeol to regularly shake him awake.

Except suddenly it was the clearing of someone’s throat that woke him. Hoseok stood behind them glaring at Jackson.

 “You know why I’m here,” He growled, holding up an empty bag, crumbs dripping out of the insides. “This morning I said two loaves only. Since when does two mean four?”

Jackson yawned before shrugging. “I don’t think I ate that much.” He tried walking past Hoseok, but the cook grabbed him by the arm. Jackson pouted but then said, “I’ll fix up your weaponry? I’ll clean the kitchen? Sweep up the cellar?”

“You’d better.” Hoseok said firmly, glaring at Jackson as he moved to the other side of the deck to disable more security buoys.

“Big meal tonight?” Chanyeol asked, knowing how protective of food Hoseok became when he was preparing surprises. The cook nodded with a smile, sneaking an apple from his pocket to munch on.

“Well I’m bored of helping Jackson, so how about I help you cook?”

They descended into the lower deck hallways, Chanyeol trailing behind Hoseok. He squinted in the darkness, the claustrophobic walls filled with gears, pipes and jittering dials were still unfamiliar to him and so he trailed a hand along the cold surfaces for purchase.

“Captain?” He turned to Hoseok, who was suddenly far from him and was pointing in the opposite direction. “It’s this way”

“Of course.” Chanyeol said quickly, jogging over to Hoseok’s side.

“Baekhyun’s been moaning about you needing to learn your way through this ship.” Hoseok said.

“Baekhyun says a lot of mumbo-jumbo. It’s so dark—” Chanyeol’s foot made contact with something and a metallic screech echoed through the hallway. They stopped, looking at the floor, and Chanyeol bent down and picked up the object he had kicked. It was dented and curled into a hook shape.

“Amber’s scalpel?” Hoseok blinked, pointing at the etchings on the metal. “And what’s it doing here? Why is it bent?”

“No idea, but it’s probably why she’s been so pissy lately. She’s been getting at Jongdae recently too, thinking he’s the one stealing her equipment.” He observed the ruined scalpel, wincing slightly. “We’ll return it, although its not very useful anymore”

They went on their way again, not noticing the hatch on the wall, with dents on its edges and the door slightly agape.

* * *

“So, we’re opening it now?” Jackson asked, yawning as he walked to the group surrounding the chest.

“We need to see what’s inside, so we know what we’re selling” Chanyeol said, pointing off the ship. “We’re about to land anyway”

Indeed, on the horizon were the ghost islets, tiny landmasses cloaked in thick heaps of clouds and an eerie fog obscuring them out of vision. They were entering cloud steppes where the White Sea was an endless plain of foamy waters unlike the narrow canals of the skystreams. The Port of Copper Rains loomed menacingly over the islets with glittering bronze skyscrapers cutting through the sky like mountain peaks.

“So, I examined the key yesterday after fixing the engine,” Jongdae said, passing the key to Chanyeol. “It’s made of a metal I’ve never seen or heard of in all the sky. I can’t find any similarities to any other materials.” He clapped his hands in excitement. “I’m calling it the _unobtainium_ ”

“Because you’re so creative” Hoseok huffed unhappily, unwrapping a biscuit. “I don’t think we should do this.” Everyone rolled their eyes at the cook being his usual anxious self. “No listen, I’ve been thinking about what Junmyeon said and—”

“If there’s an issue we are equipped enough to handle it.” Chanyeol said, waving a hand with a smile. He was not taking chances, not after that humiliating temple misadventure in El Dorado “We’re pirates who’ve downed navy ships and fought Giant Sky Squids, what’s the worst a box can hold?”

“Amber’s taxidermy collection” Baekhyun said, shivering in disgust.

“How about I put you in the collection as well?” Amber smiled deviously, reaching over to the First Mate’s throat before Hani held her back.

“Sheesh, Amber, quite being so sore just because you can’t find your scalpels” Jackson muttered, very disinterested in everything.

“Let’s please just open this chest without any drama” Chanyeol said, trying to hold a bouncy Jongdae still.

He held the key towards the circular hole on the chest and the golden linings shimmered curiously, provoking noises of wonder from the crew. He fit it into the lock and it slid in perfectly. A ripple of light moved through the chest, highlighting mystical engravings, and then the chest darkened again.

After a few seconds of nothing, Hani sniffed. “Should I break it?”

Suddenly, the chest cracked open and Chanyeol’s vision blurred like runny paint.

Something invisible knocked him over, sent him spinning and sprawling onto the floor. The world quieted to a dim ringing, an acid smell reached his nose and an iron taste tinged on his tongue. He couldn’t understand, something bad was happening.

His vision cleared, and he was plunged into chaos as a black, fast-moving object flew across his vision, followed by a few others. The ringing in his ears was replaced with shrieking and caterwauling like he was surrounded by a devil’s choir amidst a whirlwind of crashing metal and wailing winds.

He recognized Hani’s screaming. “Stay off me! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

Chanyeol jumped up, head whirling, and saw a horrifying thing pouncing at the musician. A charcoal-coloured behemoth, much larger than the forest beasts on El Dorado, with heavy, rippling muscles and a hunched back dotted with leaky pores and lumpy bones visible under its skin. As it stomped around Hani, searing white eyes wild and curious, the crooked spikes on its back shuddered and sizzling yellow globs oozed out of its gaunt maw. On its forehead an ugly, circular swelling pulsated with a golden flash.

It raised a disfigured paw and tried swiping clumsily at Hani, who had whipped out a small blade and slashed right through its limb, spilling acidic, purple blood onto the deck. The creature wailed horrifically in pain, and Chanyeol flinched as the noise racketed through his head like a burning rod.

He grabbed his gun and fired messily at the creature, striking it on the side of its face. Hani delivered an extra blow and it scurried away, stumbling over its own feet like a new-born animal.

Chanyeol ran over to Hani, wiping the blood off his own bleeding nose. “Are you okay?”

She looked around, holding her blade ready. “Not me, I’m fine. Look around”

Like a swarm of giant cockroaches had infested the ship, there were monsters everywhere, unfamiliar in their own bodies and staggering around awkwardly. Many were still half-formed and disfigured. They latched onto the masts and drew large tears into the sails while others clawed and vomited onto the floor. Some sprouted bat-like wings and circled the ship like vultures, filling the sky with their awful screeches.

“Shit, we’re not armed at all. There’s no way we can handle this for long!” Chanyeol growled, trying to shoot down more of the monsters. Nearby, Jackson and Hoseok were fending off a trio of monsters with simple metal poles found on the floor since they didn’t have their weapons. The poles were only partially effective in repelling the creatures who were quickly becoming less awkward in their movements.

Similarly, Baekhyun used his dual pistols to defend Jongdae, whose arm was bent oddly. Even with Amber helping him up, the mechanic’s leg wobbled with pain. They were unaware of the monsters crawling behind them.

“Go help them, Hani. I’ll try and reverse this somehow.” Chanyeol yelled and she darted towards the group who were about to be ambushed.

Ducking under flying claws, the captain dashed to the chest. The key was still inside but he couldn’t pull it out and even when he tried closing the heavy lid, nothing happened, and the monsters were still terrorizing his ship.

Dread seized him as he feebly tried moving the chest, trying to do something. The crew couldn’t continue fighting, not when they were unarmed and the monsters kept multiplying. They could only escape and so he pulled out the ring of keys in his pocket, running to one of the panels close to the railing. It was the keys for the emergency lifeboat system and he jammed them into one of the locks, activating the crane.

“Crew! Move over here” He shouted as he shot two beasts approaching him from the side. A burst of steam erupted behind him as the crane pulled up one of the lifeboats to deck level. It was moving too slowly, the chains groaning with disuse.

“Someone help Jackson with Hoseok, my hands are too full!” Baekhyun shouted, moving towards the lifeboat as he targeted the monsters that flew above Hani, Amber and Jongdae. Chanyeol left the panel and supported the cook who had a large gash on his leg.

Hoseok coughed “Captain, I’m sor—”.

“Not now, we can still get out.” The captain shouted, eyeing the process of the boat as they reached the railing. “This’ll hurt but bear with me”

Not waiting for the boat to reach deck level, he and Jackson lugged the cook over the edge. Hoseok landed with a pained shout and Chanyeol then shoved Jackson onto the boat as it finally halted.

“Captain, what about you?” Jackson asked, trying to move back into the ship.

“I’m getting everyone off, I’ll go last” Then he sprinted to Jongdae’s group, joining Baekhyun in shooting more monsters as Amber moved their mechanic over the railing. Some of the flying monsters tried swooping down on them.

“Our weapons can injure, but they certainly aren’t killing them” said Baekhyun, his hair now dishevelled and heavy bruising around his eye. “Captain, what are you going to—”

“We’re evacuating, what ever the fuck just happened has doomed this ship.” Chanyeol said and pushed the First Mate over the railing onto the lifeboat. There was a screech from above as one of the flying monsters plunged towards them, they raised their guns and shot it out of course.

 Baekhyun then raised his hand to help Chanyeol across, except another creature flew in. This one had disfigured wings and instead of hitting them it crashed onto the crane.

The wires snapped. Baekhyun’s hand brushed Chanyeol’s and then he disappeared out of view.

A loud splash and the sound of his crewmates cries, Chanyeol looked down to see them quickly floating away from the ship. He was completely separated.

Suddenly, the world tilted, pulling him backwards. He turned to see some of the monsters squeezing into the bridge and through the windows one had collided with the steering wheel, spinning it sideways. He grabbed the railings to steady himself as horror overcame him and his feet began slipping. The ship began turning away from the cloud steppes, away from his crew who were calling to him.

“Just wait for me! I’ll get back to you guys.” Chanyeol shouted, his voice nullified by the howling winds. There was a second lifeboat on the other side of the ship, if he could activate the other mini-crane he could escape.

Before he could move, a monster appeared from behind the railing, bowling into him and knocking him back. He skidded across the tilted deck, stopping near the staircase to the underdeck. The boat continued turning and he fell down the stairs, landing painfully on his arm. He scrambled to his feet and ran through the underdeck. It seemed the monsters were far too big to squeeze through the corridors quickly enough like him.

A sudden tremor ran through the ship and the pipes hissed with jets of steam while the dials on the walls trembled wildly. The vessel stopped tilting and slowly returned to a straight path, allowing Chanyeol to let go of the walls. The ship had entered emergency auto-pilot mode, sensing the piloting had gone awry, and would now head on a straight path to wherever, even if it was right off the clouds.

Bursts of steam from the trembling pipes exploded in Chanyeol’s face amidst the cacophonic groaning of the steamship as he sprinted down the shadowy hallways. His throat was sandpaper dry and heavy breaths escaped his bloodied lips as he stumbled left and right through the labyrinth of unfamiliar hallways with no destination in mind, just away from _it_.

The darkness chased him like a deathly tsunami and close behind was the sound of hissing and hard metal being torn easily like paper.

He tripped over some fallen boxes, tumbling onto the ground in a painful slam. Cursing, he pulled himself up, accidentally breaking off a loose gear from the wall, but he paid no mind and continued running for his life.

This was a mistake. None of this was meant to happen. He regretted ever going to that cursed island.

_Just what the hell did he bring onto his ship?_

He stopped in the middle of an unfamiliar hallway, each pathway leading off to a dimly lit nowhere. Chanyeol groaned in frustration, pulling his hair. His crew’s warnings droned in his head like a buzz of flies. It was true. He had no clue where he was. Or where he was meant to go. There was a second lifeboat, somewhere in the hull, but also in the hull were devils trying to kill him.

There was a clang, snapping him out of his thoughts as a shadow with two searing white dots and a pulsating crest loomed out of the darkness. The monster opened its mouth, revealing gnarly gums and crooked daggers with a stench that sent Chanyeol’s stomach convulsing.

“You fucker, ruining my ship like that.” He growled, raising his gun but only aiming it loosely in the darkness. The beast continued to move slowly but eagerly, teeth glistening sharper and sharper.

“I’ll skin you alive, you bet. I’ll let Amber toy with you but not before I fucking gut you myself”

Before Chanyeol could shoot, something clicked open next to him.

“Don’t even think about firing that” A low voice said.

The monster pounced, a shadow engulfing everything. He felt a pressure on his neck and he was yanked sideways into a space he didn’t know existed.

His head smashed onto the cold, metal wall. He was unconscious before he even heard the hidden hatch door slam shut.

* * *

It took Chanyeol a while to notice the light tapping on his face. It soon turned into full-forced slapping, knocking his face sideways. He moaned irritably, his head filled with lethargic mist.

“Wake up! I can’t believe you, knocking your head on the door frame like that” Something yanked him up by his collar and his head lolled backwards. He cracked open one eye, blinking away the weird spots until a he saw an unfamiliar room and a blurred person. “Sehun…? What’re you doing here?”

Sehun glared at him, jaw clenched. “Brilliant question, because I stowed away on your ship. My turn,” He shook Chanyeol furiously. “Why the fuck did you release the Crater Fiends?”

“The what-what?”

The stowaway blinked and then shook him more violently. “Why did you open the chest?”

Chanyeol was quite for a second as he recalled the last disastrous hour and then, growing furious, he pushed Sehun’s hand away. “You fucking snake! You think this is a joke? Handing us a chest without telling us it was some Pandora’s box!”

“That’s on you” Sehun replied coldly. “You heard me and Junmyeon and you could’ve taken us seriously”

“Of course, your brother who gives me a vague ‘ _don’t open it if you want to live’_ ” He snapped. “I’m a pirate, I play with death all the time, you knew I was going to open the chest. Why didn’t you say from the start there were demons inside the chest since you seem to know so much about them.”

Sehun opened his mouth in rebuke but Chanyeol cut him off, standing up despite his headache. “Now our ship is sailing to Heaven knows where, there are monsters _inside my ship_ and I’m not even sure where my crew is!”

Suddenly, a blast of noise so loud the walls began trembling racketed through the ship, sending bursts of steam out of nearby pipes and tipping over storage boxes in the room. Sehun covered his ears, wincing in pain. The horn rose in pitch and then silenced.

Chanyeol’s heart dropped like a stone in water, he knew exactly what that sound meant. He pulled Sehun onto his feet. “Forget this, we need to leave now”

“Wait why? What was that just now?”

The captain wasn’t focusing on his question and was busy trying to spin open the hatch, fingers shaking with trepidation. Sehun suddenly grabbed his arm, yanking him away from the door. “Don’t open the door! Are you trying to bring the Crater Fiends here?”

He bit his lip as his chest pounded like a heavy drum. “Do you have any other way of escaping this room? We need to get to the second lifeboat, the starboard side’s already gone”

The stowaway nodded and moved to one end of the room, pushing away some boxes to reveal a hidden door on the wall, small and square. He turned and smirked at Chanyeol. “How well do you know this ship, captain?”

Chanyeol glared at him before following him into the small passage. Sehun led the way, turning left and right without hesitation like he’d memorized each and every direction through the boat.

“Your gunner, Jackson,” Sehun said as they sneaked through the claustrophobic space. “I found a way into his weapon room. You rearm there and then we move to the lifeboats. There are so many secret tunnels on this ship, I was surprised they became useful so quickly.”

Chanyeol didn’t reply, trailing closely behind him as they crawled through the darkness. His mind was elsewhere, occupied with the terror of plummeting hopelessly through the clouds like a ragdoll.

The hallway widened, and they walked side by side. Sehun glanced at him curiously. “You’re not talking. Are you scared?” He asked with some humour in his tone. “It’s okay, I know all about the Crater Fiend’s weaknesses. If you—”

“I’m not scared. Now move quicker.” Chanyeol said, nudging him forwards as he toiled in his own thoughts.

Again, out of nowhere a huge din blasted across the ship. The horn sent shivers down the hallways and Sehun swore, clutching his ears as the sound drilled into their heads. _That was the second, eight more._ Chanyeol moved with more speed until Sehun dragged him around a corner, correcting his path.

“Fine, I am scared.” Chanyeol sighed, slightly embarrassed, and the stowaway blinked at him, surprised. “That horn belongs to the density detector system and it senses when the water density decreases. If that happens, it means we’re moving towards the edge of the clouds. It seems the Crater Fiends steered us out of the cloud steppes and back onto the skystream.”

“To the edge? What does that mean?” Sehun asked as they stopped by the door, the one leading to the weapon room. He pulled out some small blades from his pocket and jammed them into the doorframe, wrenching it open.

“It means we’re going to skydive, Sehun.” He said grimly, squinting in the sudden light as they entered the room. “That alarm only sounds ten times before we’re sail right off the clouds and plummet down to the Earth. It’s a boatman’s worst fear”

“We’ll just have to steer the ship back on course” Sehun shrugged.

“Yeah, we need to do that… but Sehun,” He gestured with his hands, his right fist smacking onto his left. “A ship skydiving – it means we’re dead on impact with the ground. Like cracked eggs, you know?”

Sehun snorted, “Cracked eggs? Interesting comparison”

Chanyeol ground his teeth in frustration as he reloaded his pistol, hung another one on his belt and then took a larger musket in his hands. “Whatever. Just grab a gun and we’ll shoot those Fiends and jump off this ship with the second lifeboat”

“I don’t need one” Sehun said and the captain gave him a sceptical look. He showed the larger dagger on his belt and a bunch of small blades in his pocket.

“Amber’s scalpels!” Chanyeol exclaimed, recognizing the tools. “You were the one stealing them?”

“They’re useful in opening doors”

“So you were eating Hoseok’s bread too. You… you’re surprisingly resourceful” Chanyeol said, narrowing his eyes in interest. “And you memorized your way through this ship, and you know all about the Crater Fiends.”

“Uh, actually about the Fiends.” Sehun said, fiddling with his personal blade as they exited the room. “We can get rid of them, we don’t have to take the lifeboat.” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow and he continued. “If we throw the chest overboard, the monsters will go with it.”

“Elaborate”

“According to the temple scrolls in my village, the chest is like a base for them, they’ll follow it wherever it goes, even out of the sky.”

“What else do I need to know about these monsters, Mr encyclopaedia?”

Sehun rolled his eyes as they resumed their walk through the hallways. “The crest on their head is their weak spot, just target that and they’ll die. Also, it’s going to be harder to fight them from now on. When they first emerge out of the chest they’re not exactly used to their bodies, like new-borns, but by now they’ve probably adapted well enough.”

“Junmyeon wasn’t wrong about you” Chanyeol said with interest and Sehun looked awkwardly away. “Perhaps I should have let you join us on the way to the temple.”

 _I’ve been foolish, thinking I know so much_. The captain winced internally.

The third alarm blared through the ship and accompanying it was the usual bursts of steam but also the sinister sounds of scraping and growling from the upper decks. Sehun sped up his pace, aware of how short their time was.

“Now I’m wondering,” said Chanyeol over the silence of the quivering ship. “Why exactly did you stow away on my ship?”

“Of all times to ask, why now? You already know the answer.”

“Which is?”

Sehun huffed. “I told you, exploring is the only thing I’m good at. El Dorado is boring and I want to see the rest of the Sky, so I hopped onto your ship since you didn’t let me in yourself.”

“With no consideration for what exactly you’d do once you got onto the ship. You can’t keep stealing our food supplies. How would you get off? Do you have any friends outside of your island?”

“I was going to leave your ship at the next stop and go solo I guess.” Sehun shrugged sheepishly, ignoring Chanyeol’s questions. Junmyeon’s annoyed voice echoed in the captain’s head. _He doesn’t think ahead before he acts._

They turned a corner and were suddenly met with an open maw and needle-sharp teeth. The Crater Fiend shrieked and began scrabbling towards them, its body too wide for the tight space and its claws leaving gaping tears on the ground.

“Stay behind!” Chanyeol shoved Sehun back and raised his musket, running towards the wailing beast. It bared its teeth, but he jammed the gun onto its snout before it could open its mouth any wider. He pulled the trigger and felt the impact of the gunfire racket through him and the beast as rancid purple blood splattered everywhere.

“On its crest, Chanyeol!” Sehun called as the creature shook the captain off, making him stumble back. The stowaway caught him, supporting his back, and then he ran forwards as the Fiend opened its jaws with wide, swollen flesh spilling out of its throat. He jammed the musket onto the roof of its mouth and fired repeatedly, each bullet blasting through its head and out where the crest was located. It stopped writhing and it’s head hung limp and covered with blood.

A harrowing cry echoed across the ship, it sounded like all the Crater Fiends were screaming all at once like they had sensed the killing of their own. Chanyeol winced at the piercing volume and sighed as soon as it finished.

“Bloody hell” Sehun said, revulsed at the gore.

“I usually don’t have to go this far… unless someone tries killing my crew” Chanyeol said, patting his gun petulantly. He reached over and ruffled Sehun’s hair, smearing the purple blood all over the man. “Beagles don’t bite…most of the time”

“Wash your hands” Sehun said slapping his hand away.

Chanyeol laughed. “It’s a ‘thank you’ for having my back there. Now let’s move, the chest is on the deck, so we’ll head there.”

They climbed over the carcass just as the horn rang for the fourth time and Chanyeol’s stomach twisted into a tight, anxious knot.

He tried making conversation to distract himself. “How did you stowaway then?”

“There are doors on the sides of the hull and…” A wistful look passed over his face. “Junmyeon frets a lot about everything, including safely returning to the village. The peabrain probably didn’t notice I was gone until the ship left”

“He’ll be shitting his pants right now” Chanyeol said, recalling Junmyeon’s worried rant during the celebration. He was alerted by the sound of screeching and thumping from the deck, growing amidst the humming of the deck. Keeping a ready finger on the musket’s trigger, he continued. “Don’t you think people will worry about you?”

“Why do you care so much?” Sehun snapped, suddenly frustrated. “None of my village like me, they wouldn’t blink if I was maimed by the forest beasts.”

“Is it unusual for someone to care?” Chanyeol said. Sehun’s eyes widened and he quickly turned his face.

“Don’t you get it? I’m a burden for my village, dragging forest beasts back, embarrassing my brother all the time and just being an overall nuisance. Why should people bother?”

“And you’re okay with that, with people not giving a shit?” The memory of Sehun sitting alone in the shadows during the celebrations flickered through the captain’s mind.

“Yes”

There was silence filled by the rumbling of the fifth horn as it sent bursts of steam through the corridor, the pipes groaning with extreme pressure.

Before he could say anymore, another Crater Fiend trampled into the hallways, dragging itself towards them with sickening shrieks. Chanyeol raised his musket and shot its crest and the Fiend was silenced. He fumbled for more cartridge as he reloaded his gun, except Sehun suddenly shouted. “Chanyeol, duck!”

Something silver sliced past his face like a cold breeze. There was the gross squelch of something sharp embedding into flesh and an agonized screech. He looked up and saw a second monster writhing above the first corpse, Sehun’s blade deep in its eye.

Sehun ran past him, Amber’s scalpels in hand, nimbly dodging the creatures bites. He stuck one scalpel in the creatures mouth and grabbed its jaws, slamming them shut so the metal skewered through its muzzle. Then he grabbed his blade, still impaled into its eye and stabbed it into the Fiend’s crest, the creature slammed him onto the wall but stilled after Sehun drove his blade further in.

“Bloody hell” Chanyeol gaped. The stowaway’s aiming was immaculate. There was another chorus of wails from the Fiends on the upperdeck as another of their own was killed.

“The forest beasts are good practice” Sehun gritted out, rubbing his arm with a wince. He checked his pockets and Chanyeol noticed that his supply of scalpels was running short.

Chanyeol grabbed his arm in concern but was shrugged off. “I’m fine”

He pulled one of the two pistols from his belt and handed it to Sehun. “You need it. You have brilliant aim but blades won’t always work, and –" He gripped Sehun’s hands, the other stuttering in surprise. “I actually care about you.” Sehun didn’t reply.

They climbed over the corpses and at the end of the hallway they could see daylight pouring from the stairway to the deck.

The sixth alarm came and went.

“We’re almost there” Chanyeol took the lead, dragging Sehun along. More beasts swooped down the staircase, a lot more lithely than what he remembered. It seemed they had adapted quickly like Sehun had fortold. Chanyeol shot them until his musket had emptied. He tossed it aside and used his pistol instead. Sehun stuck to throwing scalpels, a technique Chanyeol had never seen until now in all his years at sea.

They reached the bottom of the ladder, now sporting cuts, bruises and stinky, purple blood. Sunlight cast a golden hue on the metal floor, interrupted by the shadows of the monsters that were swarming the ship. Chanyeol immediately began climbing the steps but paused when he noticed Sehun not moving.

“Oi! Get a move on”

The stowaway simply stood there, looking up towards the daylight that warmed his face. “This is the first time I’ve ever left the island. I’ll be able to travel across the sky now”

“We’re about to fall out of the sky, this is not the time!”

The seventh siren sent them stumbling and Sehun snapped out of his reverie.

Scrambling onto the deck, the pair immediately sprinted for the chest by the railing. To their horror, the number of Crater Fiends on the ship had increased tenfold and they were more agile and ferocious than before. Many had burrowed into the boat and were perched in the various holes they carved themselves. Some bounded towards them instantly and others circled the sky like hungry vultures.

Chanyeol flung open one of the gates on the railing. “Push the treasure off through here!”

He defended Sehun as the stowaway tried pushing the treasure along, shooting down as many Fiends as he could. They swooped down on him, carrying him up and then dropping him like a toy.

“It’s too heavy. I cant move it!” He heard Sehun cry over the ringing in his ears. He turned to see him being bowled over by a pair of monsters. Chanyeol was caged to the ground by large claws and despite his desperate squirming, he couldn’t escape.

“Shit! Sehun are you still with me?” He shouted, only hearing a terrified cry in return. Rancid hot breathes fanned his neck as the beast opened its mouth over him.

The eighth horn blasted across the ship and echoed deep into the sky, so loud that even the Fiend upon him cringed. Cold fear crawled up his limbs as the futility of the situation became obvious, either he’d be torn apart or would splatter onto the Earth.

His captor suddenly jerked and the weight upon him loosened. Then, it slid off and flopped onto the deck beside him, a bleeding purple hole on its crest.

The sounds of the swarm quieted. Sehun lay underneath two of the monsters, Chanyeol’s gun smoking in his hand. A few seconds of silence filled only by wailing winds and the ship’s shuddering. Then, the Crater Fiends awoke from their stupor in a blast of wrathful shrieks. Many slammed onto the deck by Sehun with maddened hunger and one snapped its jaws around his arm, drawing an agonized shout from the stowaway.

The swarm’s attention was diverted to Sehun, either surrounding him or waiting eagerly by the sides. It was pointless trying to get him out of the pile, so Chanyeol had to find another way.

He fired his gun many times but failed to strike any of the Fiends. If he could kill one, they would focus on him since they chased whoever last killed their own, and then Sehun would be freed.

“Come on, dammit!” He grunted, down to his last few bullets.

He looked to the chest, the cursed thing, glinting in the sunlight by the railing. There was one final thing to try. He ran to it, making sure it was behind him. Then he sucked in a deep breath and raised his pistol, aligning the front sight with one of the beasts that was not attacking Sehun.

“You’re not fucking with me or my crew again” He growled, pulling the trigger. It was a perfect shot.

The din silenced and was replaced by the blaring of the ninth horn. The monsters froze like statues as the target flopped dead on the floor and then they turned slowly and ominously to him with maddened, bloody eyes and jaws. Underneath them, Sehun was reddened with scratches and bitemarks and a large gash on his arm.

Like floodgates opening, the Crater Fiends bounded towards him, a dense tsunami undulating wildly across the deck. Chanyeol’s body turned cold with fear as death faced him but he pushed against his burning legs, heavy like steel, and jumped away from the chest.

A deafening crash sounded as they collided with the chest, driving it into the railing. The wires bent, groaned and screeched as more and more monsters snowballed behind it. And then it snapped like a thin string.

The chest tumbled feebly off the ship into the foamy waters that swallowed it up, leaving a fading shadow on the surface. The Crater Fiends followed after it, a blackened waterfall pouring into the white sea like ink spreading on paper. A harrowing chorus burst out from the whole swarm and all the monsters that had nestled into the ship leaped off in a flurry of black limbs and panicked screeches towards the chest, right where Chanyeol was.

Creatures slammed passed him, throwing him from side to side and with each painful impact he stumbled closer and closer to the edge where the thinning waters lay. A leg caught him on the shoulder, flipping him face down onto the deck with a painful crunch in his nose and an iron taste in his mouth as he was pushed further along. He tried reaching for purchase, still being trampled by the monsters, but his fingers scraped thin, cold air.

Opening his eyes, he saw the sky stretch out before him, his arm hanging off the edge where the railing had broken. A dark vortex of swimming Fiends surrounded a particular spot in the waters and behind it the waters stopped abruptly. It was the edge of the skystream and beyond it was an endless void, a gaping hole in the sky like a humongous chunk of reality had been erased.

A wave of terror rushed over him, paralyzing him into a stupor as he gazed ahead. One of the monsters that had jumped too far glided closer to the drop-off until, like the trivial falling of leaves, it slipped off and plummeted into the hazy nothingness, shrieks dying instantly in the wind.

“No, no, no!” He began repeating, squirming to push himself back on the ship. Except, one of the creatures crashed into him from behind, knocking him forwards into empty air. The world spun, and the void opened its jaws, welcoming him in.

Until something grabbed his shirt from behind and yanked him back against the mighty pull of gravity. He slammed onto the deck, its cool bumpy surface feeling like a safe haven underneath him. Chanyeol gazed emptily up into the sky, feeling catatonic with shock.

“Hey captain” A voice yelled and a hand hit his face sideways again. “Chanyeol! We’re still going to fall if you don’t turn this ship!”

He shot up. “Sehun, you’re—”

“Yes I’m alive” Was the quick interjection. “Now let’s go!”

Sehun’s torn clothes were stained with a mix of purple and red blood. His left sleeve was gone and the arm hung limp, dotted with bleeding marks.

Chanyeol stood and wrapped his arms carefully around Sehun, pulling him up. “The wheel is in the bridge, not too far”

They moved through the deck amidst the thinning air and winds that howled like frenzied ghouls. The world screamed around them and the ship trembled in the dangerous waters.

The tenth horn sounded like a song of death as they entered the bridge. The ship was tipping forwards and he was keening backwards to keep his balance. Chanyeol dragged Sehun to the steering wheel that had been knocked off-course by the monsters. It was heavily dented and creaky.

“Turn it left! I’ll alter the engines.” He roared, yanking the wheel sideways for Sehun. “Jongdae, your fix-up better have worked!” He flicked switches and jammed buttons on the control panel, shutting off the some engines and putting others on full blast. The wheel pushed back with resistance and Sehun, despite the pained noises he was making, moved against the force.

Slowly, the ship began to turn. From the window they could see the ship moving away from the void and the force of gravity upon them was changing. Like it had been lifted by an invisible force, the ship twisted back onto the skystream, landing onto the waters with a massive crash. And then, silence as the ship resumed a straight course.

Chanyeol felt a hand pulling his jacket and turned to Sehun who slowly slid off the wheel eyes filled with exhaustion and relief. The captain took over the wheel, gently steering it with one hand and managing the control panel with the other. The ship reverberated with the sound of changing gears and puffs of steam. He fixed his course on the cloud steppes that were dotted with islands, one of them being the Port of Copper Rains.

He let go of the wheel, letting the ship guide itself forward. Then he looked at Sehun, on the floor with one blood-speckled arm hanging loosely.

“Bloody hell” They both murmured.

“Well, at least we’re not cracked eggs, you know?” Chanyeol shrugged after more silence, and Sehun rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. “Let’s get that arm patched up”

He searched through the spilled cupboards of the bridge, muttering. “Good Heavens look at the state of this ship”

The boat looked ransacked with claw marks and purple blood tattooed all over the metal surfaces. Parts of the mast and bow had been ripped off, there were tears across the sails and much of the deck’s panelling had been upturned which left wide holes from where the lower floors could be seen. On the ship’s side where the chest had been tossed out was a large breach in the railing where the bars curled outwards.

There were plenty of Crater Fiend remains like large tufts of fur or talons embedded onto the deck. Corpses of which Chanyeol and Sehun had killed were strewn along the floor and were dissolving into a black sand that was blown away by the wind. Chanyeol was too exhausted to question the magic.

“There had better be some more gold in the treasury since we no longer have our cash-making chest. The sums I will have to pay for this” Chanyeol muttered, pulling out a crushed first aid kit from one of the fallen drawers. He sat by Sehun and began addressing his wounds. “And somehow, I need compensation for the damage you brought onto my ship”

“That’s debateable, had you not—”

“Okay, okay I don’t need your sass” Chanyeol waved his hand, shushing him. “After all this, I have no treasure, a ruined ship, a likely concussion and… a new crewmate”

Sehun blinked. “What? Is that an invitation?”

“No, I said its compensation. You’re tidying this mess” Chanyeol growled, trying to hide his smile.

Sehun’s face lit up in a manner almost child-like with excitement. “So, I’m staying here? I’m joining your crew?”

“Yes, you are” He said, tying a bandage around Sehun’s arm before sitting back and wiping his forehead. “I’ve been foolish, thinking I know everything and trying to bite off more than I could chew. You’ve humbled me and have saved my ship. Jongdae and Baekhyun adore you. Why shouldn’t I let you on?”

Sehun looked at his hands with a wonderous expression.

“Now listen,” Chanyeol said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not a nobody, not anymore. Maybe you’ve got problems with your village, but not with me or my crew. You’re sassy and sharp-tongued for sure, but you’re also skilled and caring. What happened in the past doesn’t matter now since you’re with us and we live to explore just like you do”

After a pause Sehun spoke with a soft smile, the first Chanyeol had ever seen from him.  “That was very cliché”

“I’m glad you’re charmed” Chanyeol laughed, standing up and then helping Sehun onto his feet.

“But thanks. Thanks a lot, for all this… and for caring” He mumbled quietly as they walked onto the ruined deck. Chanyeol walked to a pile of furs and picked up an object from the ground, wiping off the blood and fur staining it.

“Welcome to the crew” He said with a sincere smile, handing Sehun his personal blade, slightly kinked but still functional.

The captain turned and let out a deep breath, straightening his back as he gazed at his ship. “Goodness me, I can’t believe we nearly skydived. Just wait till the crew hears all this.”

“Wait until they see all this” Sehun gestured to the ship with his free hand.

“They won’t even recognize this ship. There’s a lot of fixing to be done”

“We should definitely change the crew’s name. Beagle Liners sounds hideous”

“And who is the captain here?” Chanyeol reprimands, flicking him on the forehead. “The name stays for sure”

“Why…? We sound like a bunch of toddlers”

Chanyeol wrapped an arm around Sehun’s shoulder. “People have to know we’re the Sky’s friendliest pirates. Beagles don’t bite –” He then winked. “—Most of the time”

Sehun’s mouth curled into an excited grin. The mighty world opened up before them, horizons stretching beyond infinities, and their ship was a small candlelight, lighting up the many mysteries hidden within the enormous clouds.

He smirked. “Most of the time. That’s fair enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a lot to Maz and Danah who reviewed this for me despite me being an embarrassing fuckwad. Y'all are wankers for laughing at me but ily anyway.
> 
> There will likely be a sequel for this, but it'll be a massive, multi-chaptered fic like nothing I've ever done before. Hopefully I can get round to writing it, since there's a lot to discover in this world, including Chanyeol's past or the origin of the Crater Fiends and much more. 
> 
> Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this little tale!
> 
> Until next time!


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